There For You
by StarrPurdy
Summary: A crossover with Ben Bruce from Asking Alexandria and Lacey Sturm from Flyleaf.
1. Chapter 1

I woke up screaming. Ben, my roommate, was shaking me desperately.

"Lacey! It's only a dream!" He shouted. Tears were streaming down my face.  
"T-the fire… Ben…" I couldn't stop crying. The dream had seemed so real.

It had been 6 months since my ex, Peter, had died. I had been at his house when the stranger broke in. Peter had been in the kitchen, cooking me dinner, when he was shot. He fell against the stove, catching his sleeve on fire. By the time I got to the kitchen from the other side of the house, the whole room was in flames.

"Peter!" I remember screaming his name over and over as the smoke clouded my vision. I heard him yell for me to get out and my legs numbly carried me outside, where I collapsed on the ground. The fire department and the police showed up, and the investigation began. The killer, not realizing the destruction he had caused, had gone upstairs to find Peter's valuables and got trapped, burning in the fire.

It didn't dawn on me until later that Peter had burned alive. He had been shot, but he wasn't dead – until the fire consumed him.

I stayed locked in my room for days, only coming out for his funeral. I sat in silence, refusing to speak during the event. I didn't cry, I didn't smile, I just stared blankly ahead. Ben sat next to me, ready to hug me if I needed it, ready to be my shoulder to cry on, but I barely even spoke to him for the first month.

As I began healing, the nightmares started happening.  
"Lacey. Shhh. It's okay." Ben sat down on the edge of my bed. I said nothing as I calmed myself.  
"Ben… Don't go."  
"I'm right here. I'll stay as long as you need me."  
"Good." I reached for him and he pulled me into his arms. Ben had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. I felt safe around him. I could feel his warm breath on my neck and I pressed my face into his chest. Emotion was rising in my chest and I felt my throat tighten. The tears were coming, and I knew by now that it was no use to try and stop them.  
"Don't cry…" He almost sounded pleading.  
"I just… I hate them. The fire just keeps coming closer, and no matter how loud I scream, I can't get away. It's like I'm paralyzed!" I sobbed.  
"It's not real. I would never let you burn. You're safe with me." He held me tighter. "Just go to sleep."  
"Only if you stay."  
"I promise."  
I crawled back under my blanket and Ben pulled it over so it covered him too. I fell asleep in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke up, Ben's face was buried in my neck, his arms wrapped around my waist. The sun shone on his reddish hair. He looked peaceful. For the first time in weeks, maybe even months, I smiled. It was a real smile... A smile that wasn't forced or hiding tears.  
As we lied tangled in each other's grips, I thought about everything we had been through. I thought about how he had always been there after Peter died. I thought about how he had always woken me up when I was paralyzed and screaming because of the nightmares that plagued me every night when I closed my eyes. I only slept in peace when his arms protected me.  
The realization dawned on me and I would've sat bolt upright if I wasn't being held down.

I loved Ben.

I had always "loved" him, but only as a best friend, or in the way that you love a brother. Now, I realized, it was different.  
It was Ben, my crazy best friend, the one I teased, the one who was obsessed with music and guitars, the one who would always hold me when I cried, Ben. I was in love with him.  
I stared at the ceiling, thinking it over, trying to make sense of it all. After a while, Ben's eyes fluttered open.  
"Hey…" he said awkwardly.  
"Hey."  
"Sleep well?" he smiled. I felt a twinge in my heart.  
"Yeah… You?"  
"Very well." He didn't let go of me.  
"I… I'm glad you stayed. I was so scared." My voice was quiet.  
"It's okay now. They were only dreams."  
"I know." I said nothing more. We stayed silent for a while.  
"…I'm hungry. Want something to eat?" he seemed to blush a little. I giggled.  
"Sure."  
He unwrapped his arms from me and left the room to go find something for breakfast. I stayed in bed. I felt oddly alone again. I saw my notebook lying on the table next to the bed and I picked it up. I saw the scribbles from the words I could never seem to form. Suddenly, I knew what to write.


	3. Chapter 3

_Sometimes I'm a selfish fake,  
You're always a true friend.  
I don't deserve you,  
Cause I'm not there for you,  
Please forgive me again.  
I wanna be there for you,  
Someone you can come to.  
Runs deeper than my bones…  
I wanna be there for you,  
I wanna be there for you!  
Swirling shades of blue,  
Slow dancing in your eyes.  
The sun kisses the earth,  
And I hush my urge to cry…  
I wanna be there for you,  
Someone you can come to.  
Runs deeper than my bones…  
I wanna be there for you,  
I wanna be there for you!  
Cause I hear the whispered words  
In your masterpiece beautiful.  
You speak the unspeakable through…  
I love you.  
I wanna be there for you,  
Someone you can come to…  
I wanna be there for you  
And be someone you can come to.  
The love runs deeper than my bones  
And I wanna be there for you.  
_

As I wrote the last line, I felt a sort of emotional relief. I had finally gotten my thoughts written out. I jumped out of bed and crossed the room to where my guitar was sitting on its stand. I picked it up and grabbed the tuner.

Ben came back in as I was tuning my acoustic.  
"Playing music already?" he smirked.  
"I had an idea. I gotta get it down before I lose it."  
"Alright, alright." he smiled and left again. I pulled the guitar strap over my head and began to strum. C, G, E minor, D. My fingers drifted over the frets and music filled the air. As I started to sing, I felt myself become immersed in emotion. A tear ran down my cheek as I sang the last words.  
"That was beautiful." Ben whispered. My heart gave a jolt. I didn't know he had been there. I stayed silent, my cheeks turning pink. "You have a great voice…" he smiled.  
"Thank you." I said quietly, my blush deepening. An awkward silence filled the room. I looked down at my guitar and he cleared his throat.  
"I'm gonna go… Make breakfast." He bit his lip. I nodded and he started to walk away.  
"Wait! Ben!" I blurted.  
"What?" he turned around. I pushed my guitar on to the bed and crossed the room. I put his face between my hands and pulled his lips to mine. The feeling sent a tingle down my spine. He put his hand on my back and pressed me up against his warm body.  
"I love you." I murmured against his lips. He pulled away and smiled.  
"I've loved you since the very first day."  
_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

"Really?" I squeaked.  
"Since the day I saw you in the cafeteria in sixth grade. I saw you sitting alone and something in me broke. And then in seventh grade when you told me I was your best friend for the first time. I remember when you had your heart broken for the first time in our freshman year. You swore you loved him. You were always saying that he was 'the one'. When he hurt you like that, I wanted to punch him. And the time in 10th grade when I finally convinced you to skip school with me and we sat in my car listening to music all day. I'll never forget senior prom… I danced with the most beautiful girl there…" he blushed. I felt my eyes tear up.  
"Ben…" I didn't even know what to say.  
"I swear it's true."  
"Thank you…" I whispered, choking back the tears.  
"Don't cry."  
"I can't help it… I wasted so much time… I realized this morning that I've always loved you. When I woke up and you were lying next to me, everything felt right. As much as I loved Peter," my throat felt tight. "He could never compare to you."  
"Oh Lacey…" Ben's eyes burned into my vision. I silenced him with a kiss.  
"This is how it was always meant to be." I smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

*Eight Months Later*

I walked out of the kitchen holding two glasses of water. It was Ben and I's movie night. I smiled every time I thought about him. He was just so perfect. My best friend… The person I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  
When I walked back into the living room of our tiny apartment, he jumped up to grab his glass. He set it on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around me.  
"You're so beautiful." He smiled.  
"I love you." I blushed. Suddenly, he got down on one knee. I gasped, nearly dropping the glass I had forgotten I was holding.  
"Lacey… I promise I will love you forever… Will you marry me?" His lovely smile and pleading eyes made me melt. Keeping a straight face, I carefully set down my glass.  
"Oh Ben…" I looked at him, still not smiling. A look of concern crossed his face.  
"Lace…?"  
"Ben…" I paused. He waited. "Ben… Yes!" I flung myself at him, smiled bigger than I thought possible. He held me tightly.  
"I will always be there for you." he whispered fervently.


	6. Chapter 6

*Six Years Earlier (Back in 9th Grade)*

I sat in history class, day dreaming about Skylar. He was so sweet… So cute… I couldn't believe he was mine.  
The bell rang, snapping me out of my trance. After putting my notebook back into my backpack, I walked out into the hall where he was waiting for me.  
"Hey beautiful," he smiled, pulling me into his arms. I blushed.  
"Stop it!" I giggled. I saw Ben walk by, rolling his eyes at us. I was just glad Skylar didn't see him. They pretty much hated each other. Ben always said that Skylar was "no good for me", and Skylar said that Ben is "clingy and jealous".  
"I love you." Skylar whispered.  
"I love you more!" I smiled.

*Two Weeks Later*

I was sitting at lunch with Ben, one of the only periods I didn't have with Skylar.  
"So… Wanna hang out after school?" Ben asked between bites of his pizza.  
"Can't. I'm going over to Skylar's."  
"Ugh, really? We never hang out anymore!" he pouted.  
"I promise we'll hang out soon."  
"Fine… But if you change your mind tonight, feel free to come over. It's not like I have a social life."  
I laughed. "You're silly."  
"I'm being completely serious!" he protested.  
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

When the final school bell rang, I jumped out of my seat in biology and quickly made my way to my locker to get rid of my books before heading to Skylar's house, which was just a short walk from the school.  
As I walked out of the building, I saw Skylar talking to a girl I didn't recognize. When I got closer, I could see that his arm was around her waist and she was giggling. I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling my heart sink.  
"Skylar?!" I squeaked. He spun around, dropping his arm and looking a little guilty.  
"Lacey… Uh… This is Amanda…" he tried to cover it up.  
"How could you?!" I could feel my throat tightening. Before he could answer, I turned and ran towards Ben's house.

I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face as I waited for Ben to get to the door.  
"Lacey! What happened?!" he said the moment he opened the door. I couldn't make myself talk. I simply walked inside and say down. "Come on, Lace. It's okay! Just tell me what's wrong," he whispered, pulling me into his arms.  
"Skylar…" I choked out.  
"What the hell did he do?!"  
I started to cry even harder.


	7. Chapter 7

*Three & a Half Years Later (Senior Year)*

I could feel butterflies in my stomach. It was the night of senior prom, and nobody could help but be excited. I was going by myself, and for once, I was okay with it. I was going to have the time of my life with my friends!  
I took one last look in the mirror. My hair, which I had curled into tiny ringlets, hung just past the neckline of my light blue dress. My mom was getting all choked up, and I was hoping Ben would show up before the sob-fest began.  
"Lacey, darling! Your ride is here!" My mother excitedly called up the stairs. I quickly slipped on my heels before dashing downstairs.  
Ben was standing in the doorway, talking to my teary-eyed mom.  
"Hey, gorgeous!" he fake winked.  
"Well, don't you look dashing?" I smirked, knowing how much he had been dreading wearing a suit.  
"Quit with the sarcasm and let's get going." He laughed. My mom hugged us both before letting us leave.

It was almost time for the last dance. I felt a little sad that it was almost over, but my time had been well spent. I saw Ben walking over.  
"Lacey, may I have the last dance?" he smirked.  
"Of course." I giggled. He took my hand and put his arm around my waist. I leaned my head against his chest and we swayed slowly to the last song.


	8. Chapter 8

*Five Years Later (Right after College Graduation)*

I sat anxiously on the couch, waiting for Ben to come back from the store. I chewed on my lip, nervous and excited.  
When he finally opened the door, the butterflies in my stomach exploded. He sat own next to me after putting the groceries away. I fiddled with the wedding ring on my finger.  
"Lace, what's wrong? You look… I dunno… Anxious?"  
"Ben… I have something to tell you." I couldn't stop smiling.  
"Yes?" he smiled, waiting for me to tell.  
"Ben… I'm pregnant!" tears of joy filled my eyes. He stayed silent for a moment. Then, he kissed me passionately.  
"I love you." He whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

*Seven Years Earlier (Sophomore Year)*

"Oh come on, Lacey. One day isn't gonna kill you."  
"Ben, I don't want to get in trouble!"  
"You're such party pooper! Come on. Just skip with me this one time." He looked at me with pleading eyes. I sighed.  
"Fine. But if I get in trouble, I'm gonna kill you."  
"You can count on it."

I couldn't help but feel a little nervous about cutting class. I hated lying to my parents.  
"They'll never know!" Ben had said. I finally gave in and met him at his house that morning. He called the school and faked being my dad to get me out of class.  
"I can't believe you did that." I glared at him. He smirked.  
"Chill out, Lace. It's not that big of a deal."  
"It is to me!"  
"Seriously? Live a little. Be reckless for once. Do something just because you want to!"  
I rolled my eyes. "Excuse me for wanting to have a good reputation."  
He laughed and hugged me. "You're silly. But trust me. It's gonna be fun. It's like… A vacation. But free!"  
I stared at him, a bit confused.  
"Just go with it."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

*Two years after engagement*

My heart was pounding. I had butterflies. I was happy though. My mother was on the verge of crying.  
"Lace…" Her eyes were wet. "I can't believe you're really getting married. You look so beautiful."  
"Oh, mom," My throat grew tight at the sight of her tears.  
"No! You can't cry! Your makeup will run!" She laughed. I smiled. "Somehow, I always knew that you and Ben would get married… You guys were made for each other."  
The butterflies in my stomach exploded as I glanced at the clock. _10 minutes._ I ran my shaky hands down the front of my white dress. The wedding was very simple. I didn't want anyone but my closest friends and family to be there.  
"Come on, Lacey. We need to go downstairs. That aisle won't walk itself…" She winked and I couldn't contain my smile.

*10 minutes later*

My mother gripped my arm as she walked me down the aisle. My eyes were locked on Ben's smiling face. My nerves had erased themselves. I knew we were meant to be. Ben was the only one I could ever love.

Vows only made it more true.


End file.
